Radio: Thomas Linzey on “Indigenous Perspectives”-Rights of Nature for our Non-Human Kin

9/23/2021

CDER’s Senior Legal Counsel, Thomas Linzey, was a recent guest on “Indigenous Perspectives”, a monthly web/radio broadcast on HealthyLife.Net. Randy Kritkausky and Carolyn Schmidt are the hosts for this show on environmentalism and indigenous spiritualism. This special installment focuses on bringing indigenous perspectives into the legal system. Whether it be through tribal courts or making an indent within our federal system, indigenous representation is so important when assessing the implications of rights.

Thomas Linzey’s interview can be found in audio form for downloading and listening here. The transcript can be found below. Thomas begins with a background discussion on the “rights of nature” and how much of the Western perspective is tied to an understanding of ownership, and that laying claim to rights also requires a duty to care. This is in opposition to Eastern or Indigenous perspectives, where beings both living and non-living, can have access to rights and protection just because they exist and their presence holds value.

Thomas spends time weaving a fascinating journey of the history of the movement. The successes in Florida and in the tribal court for the rights of manoomin take center stage in a discussion of what is possible, and for the hope of our natural resources’ future.